There seems to be a battle over whose ramen reigns supreme in DC’s Chinatown. When I asked my cousin to try crowd favorite Daikaya with me, he promised that it isn’t worth the frequently over an hour wait, and that his favorite spot is Bantam King.

It’s easy to see why. It was probably the most traditional, legitimate, best ramen I’ve ever had, fish cake and all.

My cousin being a champ about me needing to take pictures of everything we eat & drink (Him & his stellar pink tie also seen in the above picture, while I have a photoshoot with our ramen). My drink on the left, served in a chilled glass.

This was a recommendation I collected from another participant in the training I attended all week. Speakeasies are my jam, and are also having a major moment in DC. There’s plenty to choose from, but Denson should be on your list.

It’s not too hard to find; no fancy codes or trick doors or all of that, just a set of stairs from street level down into the bar. It’s apparently always crowded, and hovering around the bar is allowed until you can scoop up a seat. The tables will be off-limits. There’s a massive list of wine, beer and spirits, and overall good vibes. If you’re a gin drinker, get “The Delilah.”

Sometimes places on a main shopping street are mediocre. It’s likely they get a lot of traffic, but unlikely that they’re good. That’s not the case with I Thai. I Thai is on M Street in Georgetown. While it’s not the most adventurous of culinary experiences, it’s fast, everything is fresh and hot, and it’s the perfect spot if you don’t feel like going very far from all the shopping. There’s a fun bubble tea and smoothie shop beneath it!

I honestly don’t think I’ve been to a real wine bar before Eno. I’m more of a beer or cocktail kind of girl, but Eno made me reconsider my stance. They have several locations all over the United States. It was the best possible place to spend my last evening in DC sharing stories with a new friend from my training, and my glass of of Italian Sauvignon Blanc was the cherry on top.

The Australians don’t joke about their coffee. Starbucks actually closed most of their Australian locations because their stuff just wasn’t up to snuff. Any Sydney coffee spot is a good choice, but a really great choice is Gumption. The cold brew is the way to go, and Australia is non-dairy milk friendly!

Here’s another thing Australians take very seriously. In general, I found that my Sydney-dwelling friends and co-workers prefer a healthier lifestyle, especially out in Bondi Beach. Naturally, that starts with a hearty breakfast. Porch & Parlour’s appears to be a local favorite (beware of the 40 minute – 1 hour wait), and it’s easy to see why. That’s my incredible “Smash n’ Hash” above, and yes, I was judged for taking this picture (but I did it anyway).

The Sydney Night Noodle Market was open around the corner from my hotel for the entire duration of my stay, so I got to eat all the noodles without having to go very far. Because of Australia’s proximity to Asia, I knew what I was getting was way more “real deal” than New York Asian fusion food. Pad See Ew (spelled phonetically and likely incorrectly, sorry!) is my favorite Thai dish. The one I tried in Sydney was totally different from what I was used to, and potentially changed my life.

“Going out” is hardly my scene, but I never turn down a good cocktail.

That’s Japanese whiskey & frothy, fresh-pressed apple juice, and by fresh-pressed, I mean I watched the bartender throw four green apples into a juice press in front of me and then pour the results into my drink. I don’t even like whiskey, and it was probably one of the best drinks I’ve ever had anywhere in the world.

A close second: this amped – up Moscow Mule from Gowings Bar & Grill under my hotel. Pricey, but worth it.

I pretty much lived on noodles and dumplings in Sydney. They were so good, I couldn’t get enough! These pork buns and shrimp & pork dumplings were another Night Noodle Market find. Shoutout to my friend Vy (who I met on Contiki, and then got to see while I was in Sydney!) for the recommendation, and also for the wine. 😉

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I haven’t a clue how I’m going to make this series work for all of the things there are to eat and drink in New York City, but I’ll try. Starting with the caffeine here of course, because once you go cute coffee shops, you never go back.

Coffee shops are not rare on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. This one, however, is home to my favorite iced latte. Black Cat is a funky hole-in-the-wall that sits pretty deep on Rivington Street. It’s a little warm inside, which makes it perfect for a chilly day. If it’s too hot, go in anyway, and check out all of their décor. Look up too- all of the fun quotes and writing reaches the ceiling.

The location is the selling point for Ground Support. It occupies the most precious corner of West Broadway, just steps from Laduree’s Downtown NYC location. It’s always crowded and the line is always out the door. If you catch it at a good time, take your pick, because everything on the menu looks good: breakfast sandwiches, artisan muffins (any of their muffins… seriously, any of them.), coffee creations, the works. There is a nice place to sit if the weather is cooperative next to the Eileen Fisher store.

Where to find: My favorite is their 13th Street location in Chelsea, but you can see their other locations here.

A dinky, very hipster, no seats kind of place. Everyone who works there is cool and wears fedoras or bohemian jewelry unironically. Everyone who stops in is fabulous and probably brilliant and probably works somewhere really trendy. Go if you are fabulous. Go if you are not yet fabulous but are attempting to acquire fabulousness and brilliance by diffusion (Me…).

Reusing pictures here, but this never stops being relevant. Photocredit: 9two5 Fit

A different entity from the aforementioned Ground Support, Ground Central is an amped-up version of whatever fast-casual place you get your caffeine fix from every morning. They brew La Colombe coffee, which technically is another NYC coffee shop chain, but is also an outstandingly delicious brand of coffee beans. I’m not expert on different types of coffee beans, but if you asked me what type of coffee I want in my hand right now, it would be La Colombe with almond milk in a Ground Central cup.

Project Cozy is Soho’s newest coffee spot, having taken over a space just south of Houston St. that has rotated residents for the past year or so. They pride themselves upon being “Cozy as Fck,” which I think is an odd slogan that never stops being amazing. There’s ample seating, nice staff, and a fantastic view down Centre St. that definitely got all my creative gears going… except I totally didn’t have my laptop with me. Note for next time, because there will be a next time.

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In my struggle effort to reach the coveted title of “semi-functioning adult,” I realized I’ve fallen into this hole of forgetting to carve out time for food adventures. Neglecting the blog and all of the wonderful things there are to eat in this world is the last thing I want to be doing, so I offer you some notes on three Manhattan spots that have taken the internet by storm. Let’s raise our desserts to making time to do what you love.

My old roommate and I actually stumbled upon Milk & Cream by accident, on a gray Saturday afternoon in May. It plays upon the success of Momofuku’s infamous and ever Instagram-worthy cereal milk ice cream, but on a major sugar high. If you go traditional, you’ll be allowed one cereal choice to blend into your ice cream and one topping, all in a cup or in a The Konery cone (As a heads up, the Birthday Cake Konery cone is pretty but is not a good choice.) If you’re fancier, go for a Signature Blend. No worries about the size of the line, the staff is totally on it!

DO now has adorable storefront Greenwich Village, after churning out edible, egg-less cookie dough from a kitchen in Kips Bay for quite a few years.

It’s sugary, creative, and actually feels kind of naughty… like you should be eating all of whatever you order before whomever used to bake cookies with you comes back to scold you for sticking your fingers in the raw dough and give you a lecture on the dangers of eating uncooked eggs. However, just like back in the day, one scoop is probably all you need, even without the raw eggs; it’s very dense. Prepare yourself for a minor food comatose shortly following.

When my friend Kendra comes to town, all we do is eat. So when she told me she wanted to find Eggloo, I knew it was going to be good.

And it was. It’s not fancy, just fun. You have your choice of bubble waffle and your choice of ice cream. Oh, and your topping limit is uncapped. Smother your whole life in mini M & M’s and chocolate Pocky while you can.